SANITATION in Buffalo City will be improved through a partnership between the metro and the Dutch city of Leiden.

The latter has invested R2,1-million in a five-year sanitation project that will, among others things, end the bucket system that is still in use in some Buffalo City suburbs.

Speaking about the project, Leiden's water project leader, Kees Bodegom, said: "The main vision for this project is to deliver good services to the people, improve sanitation, tackle waste management and create jobs.

"We need well-trained technicians to do the job. This will be a next step for Buffalo City to take a leading position in sustainable sanitation. The project will definitely put the municipality on the map."

Executive Mayor Zukiswa Ncitha added: "The president of this country has made a commitment that by 2014, the sanitation problems should be a thing of the past. Therefore to us as the City, we are happy that Leiden is assisting us in eradicating sanitation challenges.

"We have put sanitation as a priority on our list of things we will be doing to better the lives of our people."

She said the sanitation project would help to eradicatethe bucket system in some city areas.

Buffalo City's sanitation manager,Mark Westerberg, explained that the City's budget for sanitation wasR36-million, but that"R100-million is needed to eradicate the sanitation backlog in the city".

He said various projects were already operating, including the King William's Town Regional Sewerage Scheme. It would result in the decommissioning of Bhisho and Breidbach ponds and the upgrading of Zwelitsha Water Treatment Works.

"The scheme consists of seven phases which are estimated at R400-million."

Work is going ahead on phase one, at a cost of R30-million. It comprises outfall sewer from Schonville Water Treatment Works to Zwelitsha Regional Treatment Works. Phase two consists of the upgrading of Zwelitsha Water Treatment Works; it is in the design phase.